Belt buckle



July 24; 1928. 1,678,417

A. H. BECK BELT BUCKLE Filed April 25, 1925 42:19 ATTORZNEYE Patented July 24, 1928.

' :UiNl T ED STATE 5'';

ALWIN BECK, OF

than? PATENTQQFFI-CEP nocnns'rnn, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro mono manornorunme GOMPANY, me, or noonnsrnn, new YORK.

BELT BUCKLE.

Application filed April 25, 1925. Serial No. 25,912.

The present invention relates to belt buckles and anobject of theinvention is to provide an elastic belt buckle which will be strong and durable in. use, and compact in form. A fiirther. object 'of. the invention is to provide an open frame belt buckle having springsarranged on opposite sides I thereof substantially throughout the length of the frame combined: with an anchoring member for the: belt slidablet'on the frame between the ends thereof and actingagainst said springs: Another object. of the invention isv to provide a bel t'buckle of the tongue type withsprings:arranged on opposite sides of the buckle substantially coextensive inlength therewith and a belt anchoring member guided oathe frame between the ends of such frame in such a manner to obtain the maximum action of the spring-;.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain; parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out in: the appended claims Inthe drawings? v 1 is a face view of a buckle constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 i'sai rear view; I 4 Fig. 3.is an enlarged section on; the line 3-3, p

Fig.4;is aa fragmentary detail view showingthe sliding. connection between the belt anchoring. member and the buckle body. or frame;

Fig. 5aisasection on the line 5-5, Fig. 1'; Fig. 6: isa detail view of the belt anchori-ng member or slide Fig. 7 isa rear view ofv another embodimehtofthe invention; and i t Fig. 8- is a perspective view of the slide employed; in the last mentioned embodiment. The belt buckle, in this instance, comprises a frame I with four sides havingits openingbrid-ged by a cross-piece 2 which serves as a pivot or fulcrum bar for the beltsecuring means comprising, in this instance, a tongue, 3 pivoted to the bar 2. I

Arrangedi on two opposite sides ofthe frame 1 are two guides, inthis instance in the form of tubes or casings 4 constructed by rollinggthe opposite edges of the. metal of which the: frame 1 is formed, the tubes being situated on the rear face of the frame and ha-v-ing their opposed sides slotted. these tubes,f helical springs 5 are arranged,

at the other end, anabutment 6' formed on a belt anchoring slide 7. j .i

This belt anchoring slide comprises, in this iI lstance albar whichhas lateral exten sions 8 at opposite ends the ends of these extensionscarrying the, abutments 6. These extensions :8 act as guides and cooperate with the walls 9 theslotsin tl'zetubes so that elongated bearings are provided between the anchoring bar or slide 7 and the buckle body" or frame. The slidebar 7 has at opposite/ends ribs 10 forcooperating with the outer faces of the tubes or casings to prevent any wobbling ofthc slide anchoring bar. It will be noted that the extensions project whenthe buckle is not expanded to the opposite sides of the fulcrum bar 2 of the tongue 8 and inathis way the abutments 6 are thrown to the extreme ends of the tubes 4: so that the springs 5 of n'iaxiinum length may be obtained.

Inthe use of this buckle, the anchordgend of the strap is in the form of a loop. 11' passed around the anchoring bar '7 and having'opposed portions secured by snap fasteners 12 in a known manner. The free end 13 of the belt isipassed in rearof the framel of the j buckle and in front of the tongue fulcrum bar 2, as well" as in. front of the anchored end ofthe belt. The tongue 3 is passed throughopenings let in the end 13.

The tubes or casings project rearwardly from the rear face of the front piece ly and act asguides for the belt tion of. the cross bar or anchoring member is spaced from the rear face of the front piece 1, so that the adjustable end ofihe belt may be readily passed between the front piece and the. cross bar c p In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. ,7 and 8 the parts of the buckle are substantially thev same: TTheloop 11 in addition to being ipassed about the anchoring bar 7 has its front portion lying in front of the endrl' of the frame l thisend of the frame being deflected rearwardly at I so that its plane is in rear of the plane of the otherend of the frameon that end with which the tongue 3 engages The rear member of the loop 11' lies on the rear side of the frame end 1 so that said frame end l lies between the two portions of the loop 11. In this way, the frameend 1 acts as a guide for the belt end. Of course with The central pori ion this arrangement only one end of the frame will be visible at the front of the belt.

In both embodiments guides are provided at the top and the bottom of the frame between the ends of the frame and the slide moves on these guides between the end pieces. The guide is in the form of walls for slots in tubes and are engaged by the belt anchoring slide.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A buckle comprising a frame having spring casings extending along opposite sides thereof and formed with longitudinally extending slots, coil springs arranged in said casings, and a belt anchoring member extending between said spring casings having portions extending through the slots ant also having enlarged portions within the casings, engaging the ends of the springs and greater in thickness than the width of the slot-s so as to secure the belt anchoring member to the frame and means for secur ing the other end of the belt to the buckle frame. I

2. A buckle comprising a frame having spring casings extending along opposite sides thereof and formed with longitudinally extending slots, coil spring arranged in said casings, and a belt anchoring member extending between said spring casings, having portions engaging the ends of the springs and elongated portions extending longitudinally of the springs and along one side of each spring, said last mentioned elongated portions being guided by the walls of the slots and means for securing the other end of the belt to the buckle frame.

3. A buckle comprising a frame having spring casings extending along opposite sides thereof and formed with longitudinally extending slots, coil spring arranged in said casings, and a belt anchoring member extending between the casings through said slots, and having portions engaging the ends of the springs and portions for cooperating with the outer faces of the casings to prevent wabbling of the belt anchoring member and means for securing the other end of the belt to the buckle frame.

4. The combination of a buckle frame formed from a single piece of sheet metal rolled at opposite edges to provide spring casings, the edges of the metal being spaced from the main body to provide slots in the opposed faces of the spring casings, with springs in the rolled portions, and a belt anchoring member extending between the spring casings and having portions operating in the casings through the slots against the tension of the springs and means for securing the other end of the belt to the buckle frame.

5. A belt buckle comprising a front portion, two tubes arranged on opposite sides of the front portion, and provided, with longitudinally extending slots means for adjustably securing one end of a belt to the front portion, springsmounted in said tubes, and a cross bar lying behind the front portion having its ends guided by the walls of the slots and connected with the springs in the tubes, and said bar being spaced between its ends from the plane of the rear face of the front portion, so that a belt end secured by the adjustable securing means may lie between the cross bar and the front portion.

6. A belt buckle comprising a front por-' tion, two tubes arranged on opposite sides of the front portion, and provided with longitudinally extending slots, the walls of which act as guides, means for adjustably securing one end of a belt to the front portion, springs mounted in said tubes,'a cross bar having its ends guided on the walls of the slots and connecting with the springs in the tubes the cross bar'being spaced between its ends from the plane of the rear face of the front portion, so that a belt end secured by the adjustable securing means may lie between the cross bar and the front portion.

7 A buckle, comprising a frame having longitudinal cylindrical chambers in the sides extending throughout the length'thereof, longitudinal slots narrower than said chambers in the walls thereof opening into said chambers, a plate mounted in said frame between said chambers and having its side edges flanged and extending through said longitudinal slots into said chambers, coiled compression springs enclosed in said chambers and engaging said flanges, and a strap connected at one end to the frame and at its other end to said flanged plate one of said connections being adjustable.

8. A buckle, comprising a metal sheet having the edges curled inwardly to'form longitudinal heads, the edge of said beads being spaced. from the back of the plate and forming longitudinal slots, said plate having turned up end flanges closing the recesses, a slidable member arranged between said beads and having edge flanges extending through the slots into said beads, said slid-- able memberhaving upturned lug ends, com pression springs arranged within said beads engaging the flange at one end thereof and engaging the lugs on saidmovable member and adapted to hold the movable member toward'on'e end of the buckle frame, a strap connected at one end to the frame and at its other to said. movable member one of said connections being adjustable.

9. A belt buckle comprising a frame, a cross bar bridging the frame, a. belt securing tongue pivoted to the cross *bar, guides extending longitudinally of the frame and on opposite sides of the cross bar, a belt anchoring bar, and lateral extensions on the opposite ends of'the belt anchoring bar movable in said guides, the belt anchoring bar connecting the extensions at a point between the tWo ends of the frame When the belt anchoringbar is in normal position.

10. A belt buckle comprising a frame formed from a single piece of sheet metal and having two end pieces tWo side pieces, a cross bar connecting the side pieces in spaced relation to both end pieces, the side pieces having extensions turned over but spaced therefrom at the free edges to provide tubes and slots on the inner sides of the tubes, springs mounted in the tubes, a belt anchoring member having connection with the springs through said slots and means supported by the cross bar for adjustably securing the opposite end of the belt ALWIN H. BECK. 

